


All I Want For Christmas

by LoonyLoopyLisa



Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Christmas with the family, Deaf Clint Barton, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 01:37:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17234987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonyLoopyLisa/pseuds/LoonyLoopyLisa
Summary: “Well, maybe you don’t deserve to know his name since you think he’s fake!”Clint was siding with this Becca person. Not willing to share a name probably implied he didn’t actually have said boyfriend.The guy seemed pretty worked up by this point. “Fine, I’ll bring him home for Christmas break, then you can decide how fake he is!” The guy hung up the phone then froze for a few seconds before suddenly letting out a quiet, drawn-out “fuck.”***Clint needs a place to stay while dorms are closed over Winter Break.  Bucky needs a fake boyfriend to come home and meet his family.  What could possibly go wrong?





	All I Want For Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nny/gifts).



> This is a gift for the wonderful Nny (on [Tumblr](http://villainny.tumblr.com/) and on [Ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nny/pseuds/Nny).)
> 
> I really really hope you like it.

Clint tore the notice off his dorm room door and crumpled it up after a glance. He threw it into the trash without looking on the way to collapsing on his bed. He reached under his back for the book he had painfully landed on and threw it on the floor. 

Every year it was the same thing, the college dorms closed over Winter Break for maintenance and cleaning and Clint was stuck with nowhere to go. In previous years he had stayed with Natasha but she had joined a Russian ballet and was therefore out of the question. 

He only had a few more days of finals and open dorms before he would effectively be homeless for 3 weeks until the dorms opened up for the spring semester. 

What was he going to do?

***

Clint walked into the dining hall and joined the pizza line behind a guy who was talking on a cell phone. He tuned out the noise, still thinking about where he could stay over break until something the guy said caught his attention. 

“Of course my boyfriend is real, Becca, why would I lie about that?”

Clint definitely had to eavesdrop on that conversation. 

“I don’t have to tell you guys everything about him for it to be a serious relationship!”

Clint didn’t have a family but that didn’t seem quite right, surely family talked about stuff like that. 

“Well, maybe you don’t deserve to know his name since you think he’s fake!”

Clint was siding with this Becca person. Not willing to share a name probably implied he didn’t actually have said boyfriend. 

The guy seemed pretty worked up by this point. “Fine, I’ll bring him home for Christmas break, then you can decide how fake he is!” The guy hung up the phone then froze for a few seconds before suddenly letting out a quiet, drawn-out “fuck.”

The guy grabbed his pizza and swiped his card, Clint quickly grabbed a slice at random and followed behind, close enough to hear but far enough to not seem suspicious. 

The guy sat at a table that luckily had a clean one next to it so Clint could sit and continue to listen in. The guy pulled his phone back out of his pocket and dialed. 

“Steve, thank god, I need help.”

Oh, so the guy did have a boyfriend. That was probably good. 

“No, not that kind of help, stop worrying so much. You sound like my mom. No, I got in an argument with Becca and told her I’m bringing my boyfriend home for Christmas. Yes, the boyfriend I made up! Stop laughing, this is serious!”

Never mind, no boyfriend.

“I can’t tell them the truth! Is that your only advice? Thanks for nothing asshole,” and the guy hung up. 

Clint has a sudden, terrible burst of inspiration. This was going to be a train wreck, but he could fix both his problem and the guys. 

He grabbed his pizza and moved to the guy’s table. “Hey, I couldn’t help overhear your conversation. I can help you out if you want.”

The guy stared at Clint in disbelief for a moment before sagging in his seat. “How?”

This was the moment. Clint could still walk away. He wasn’t very good at walking away. 

“I’ll pretend to be your boyfriend and come meet your family.”

The guy seemed suspicious, which Clint didn’t think was fair considering he was offering to help. “Why?”

“I heard your conversation and it seems like you need someone.”

“Yeah, but what’s in it for you? Don’t you want to go see your family?”

Clint took a deep breath, guessing they would need to know more about each other if they were going to pull this off. “I don’t have a family. Actually, I don’t really have anywhere to go while the dorms are closed. This will probably help me out more than it helps you. I understand if you don’t want some stranger hanging around your family Christmas. Sorry I brought it up, bye.”

Clint had started to get up when the guy stopped him with a simple word, “sure.”

“Wait, what? Seriously?”

“Sure, why not? I dug myself into a pretty deep hole telling my family I would bring someone home. You’re willing and available to come. Besides, they already know my close friends and would never believe I was dating one of them.”

“Um, okay. I guess we need to get to know each other, maybe hash out some details? Are you free now?”

“Actually I have a final in an hour, do you want to meet up tonight instead?”

Clint smiled, “That sounds great to me. I’m Clint, by the way.”

“Bucky. Here’s my room number,” he added as he wrote something on a piece of paper. “Want to come by around 6:00?”

Clint agreed and finished his pizza as Bucky got up and walked away. 

***

Clint checked the room number Bucky had written one more time before knocking on the door, which was promptly opened by a skinny blond guy who eyed him suspiciously and didn’t say anything. 

“Um, hi, I’m Clint. I’m looking for Bucky?”

The blond continued to stare at him and didn’t say anything. 

“Do I have the wrong room?” Clint asked nervously. 

The blond was suddenly pushed to the side and Bucky appeared in the doorway. “Hey Clint,” he smiled, “just ignore Steve. Come on in.”

Clint walked into the room, giving Steve a wide berth as he passed. He followed Bucky to the bed on the left where he sat gingerly while watching Bucky reach into a mini-fridge. 

“Beer?” Bucky offered.

Clint nodded, “Sure.”

Bucky nodded before grabbing two bottles of beer, passing one to Clint and sitting on the other end of the bed. “So, I know this is kind of weird, but my family thinks we’ve been together since April. I told them over the summer that I had recently started seeing someone but wasn’t sure if it was serious or not. But I guess that means we should get to know each other? Flesh out our backstory? It’s probably better if we keep details about you as real as possible so it’s easier to keep up for the whole break.”

Clint felt like he was already in over his head, but nodded resolutely. “I mean, I’m a really good liar when I need to be, but it will probably be better if I don’t have to remember stuff about both of us.”

Steve chose that moment to butt in, “It would probably be even easier to just come clean to your family, Buck. And maybe not bring a complete stranger home with you?”

Bucky rolled his eyes before replying, “Get out of here punk, this is happening whether you like it or not. Go bug Tony or Sam and leave us alone.”

Steve didn’t seem happy about it but he grabbed his bag and left, slamming the door behind him. 

“Sorry about him, he’s just a little overprotective. We’ve been best friends since forever. I might actually need to convince him to hang out with you some too. He’s going with Tony for the holidays but my family will probably talk about him and it needs to seem like you know him too. But I’ll let him come around to the idea for a couple hours first, let’s get to know each other a little bit before diving into our relationship.”

It was like being asked what he did for fun, every thought suddenly left Clint’s mind. “Umm, my name is Clint Barton. I’m a pre-vet major, I’m 21 years old. Uh, why can’t I think of anything else?”

Bucky laughed, “ That’s a good start. My name is James Barnes but everyone calls me Bucky. I’m 20 years old and my major is history. I came out as gay to my family when I was 16 and while I have some asshole relatives who weren’t happy about my immediate family is fine with it.”

Clint suddenly realized he might have a problem. “Oh, um, I don’t know if this is going to matter, but I’m actually straight. I’m totally fine with pretending to be gay or bi or whatever, but I don’t want to lie to you going into this.”

Bucky seemed unsure, “In order to pull this off around my family you’re going to need to seem comfortable with PDA. Not anything gross or over the top, obviously, but hand-holding, light kisses, some cuddling. Is that going to be a problem?”

Clint shook his head emphatically, “I don’t have any problems with that, and I’m secure enough to not worry about it. Umm, I’ve never actually kissed a dude though, so maybe we should practice or something first?”

Bucky seemed to give it serious thought before replying. “It would make sense for us to be comfortable in each other’s space. So, maybe not making out but we should probably kiss and maybe cuddle so it looks natural?”

Clint nodded, unaccountably nervous. No time like the present, right? Clint leaned toward Bucky who met him halfway. Their lips touched tentatively before Bucky tilted his head to the side, slotting their lips together. It wasn’t much different than kissing a girl, Clint thought, except for the rasp of stubble against his face. They continued to kiss for a few seconds more before parting, leaning their foreheads together. 

Clint pulled back, smiling shyly at Bucky, though he couldn’t have said why. Bucky smiled back and reorganized his pillows against the wall before asking “big spoon or little spoon?”

“I’ve always been the big spoon before, so maybe let’s start there?”

Bucky nodded agreeably before shuffling around so Clint could lean back against the pillows. Clint opened his arms and Bucky leaned back against him. Clint closed his arms around Bucky, who rested his head against Clint’s collarbone. It was actually really comfortable. Clint was in no hurry to move so he tightened his arms around Bucky, who obligingly stayed put. 

They were silent for a moment before Bucky spoke again. “I guess I should tell you about my arm if we’re going to do this.” Clint hummed, letting Bucky know he was listening. “When I was sixteen I was hanging out with some guys I thought were friends of mine. We were in an old abandoned factory and they thought it would be fun to dare me to put my arm in one of the machines. Then they turned it on to scare me. Except the machine managed to grab onto my sleeve before I could pull it away and pulled my arm into it. It was practically crushed but the doctors managed to save it somehow. But I’ve had a lot of surgeries on it and the whole thing is covered in scars and sometimes when the weather is bad it hurts. And sometimes there are nightmares, though not as many as before.”

Clint was silent for a moment, processing the information. Somehow it was easier to talk like this, unable to see each other’s faces. If Bucky was unloading his past then Clint could too. “My Dad was a mean drunk. He knocked my hearing out when I was six and I’ve been deaf ever since. Not long after that, he killed my mom and himself driving drunk. Ran right into a tree. My brother and I were in foster care for a while, but it wasn’t a lot better, so we ran away and joined the circus, which is where I grew up. The Amazing Hawkeye, World's Greatest Marksman. I shot a bow and arrow in the show but turns out the circus wasn’t full of great people either. So I buckled down, graduated high school, applied to college, and here I am.”

They were both quiet for a moment until Clint cleared his throat. “Well, that got really serious really fast. Time for something lighter, what’s your favorite color?”

Bucky laughed softly before answering and the conversation turned to lighter subjects, discussing favorite foods, stories about friends, and funny childhood stories. When Steve returned hours later they were no longer cuddling on the bed, but only because they had been laughing too much. And while Steve still seemed to have some misgivings towards Clint he jumped in with embarrassing stories about Bucky all the same.

***

Clint checked his dorm room one more time. Everything was unplugged, he had taken out the trash, and he had everything he would need for a month at Buckys. He was just waiting to be picked up by Bucky before leaving his comfort zone for the first family Christmas he could really remember having.

Clint’s phone vibrated in his hand and he looked down to see a text from Bucky.

**Here**

Clint pocketed his phone and grabbed his bag. He was ready for this. He walked out of the building and saw Bucky sitting in a beat up car, looking almost as nervous as Clint felt. Clint threw his bag in the back seat and slid into the front, greeting Bucky with a “Hey, babe,” before lightly pecking him on the lips, a suggestion from Natasha of all people.

Natasha had almost laughed herself sick when Clint Skyped her all the way in Russia. She had had very little to say about the arrangement aside from laughter, but she did point out it would be easier to keep up the charade if they started acting like a couple immediately. So the next morning Clint showed up to have coffee with Bucky, kissed him on the mouth, and called him babe. Which, in hindsight, maybe Clint should have warned Bucky because he had almost spilled his coffee in his shock, which would have been a goddamn tragedy.

Bucky smiled slightly before responding with “Hi sweetheart” and pulling out of the parking lot. “It’s about four and a half hours to get home so we should be there by 2:00. My sister should still be in school and Dad will be at work, so we’ll be able to start small with just my Ma before dealing with the entire family.”

Clint relaxed into the seat for the journey, singing along with the radio and talking with Bucky. He could totally do this. Hopefully, anyway.

***

Clint woke with a start as the car slowed to a stop in front of an apartment building, Bucky easily parallel parking near the door.

They grabbed their bags out of the backseat then Clint followed Bucky up the stairs to meet his family. Too late to back out now. The nerves he had been feeling off and on the past few days returned with a vengeance. 

Bucky stopped in front of a door on the third floor, taking a deep breath and shooting Clint a tight smile. It seemed he was a nervous as Clint. Bucky pasted on a bright smile before opening the door and yelling “Hey Ma, we’re home!”

A woman walked around the corner, looking remarkably similar to Bucky. She pulled Bucky into a tight hug and kissed his forehead before letting go and turning to Clint, who was unprepared for the tight hug she pulled him into. It had been a very long time since a mother had hugged Clint and he couldn’t help tensing up some. 

She let go of Clint and smiled at him before saying, “It’s so nice to meet you, Clint! Bucky has told us almost nothing about you, but I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too ma’am,” Clint responded. 

She beamed at Clint, “I like you already! But you can call me Winnie, everyone does. I’ll let you boys unpack. You’ll both be staying in James’ room, of course. And then make yourselves at home.” She turned to Bucky again, “Dad and Rebecca will be home in a few hours and we’ll have a nice family dinner tonight while we all get to know Clint. Do you want to take a nap to recover from the drive?”

“Actually that sounds nice Ma, do you want to too Clint? I know you had to wake up earlier than you like.”

Clint figured he could always nap, and that would be way better than hanging out with Bucky’s mom all by himself. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

Bucky picked his bag back up from where he had dropped it when his mom hugged him and led Clint down a hallway, pointing out doors they passed. “Bathroom, Becca’s room,” he stopped in front of one, “this is our room, Ma and Dad are in that one at the end of the hallway, and there’s another bathroom through there.”

Bucky walked through his bedroom door and Clint took a moment to look around at the posters on the wall, the framed photos on the desk, and the bookshelf full of comic books and movies. Bucky groaned, drawing Clint’s attention to where he was staring at the double bed. The only bed. 

“I thought she would at least put in an air mattress or something. Honestly, I thought she would make me share with Becca and put you in here alone. I’m so sorry, I can go tell her this won’t work if you want me to.” Bucky was halfway to the door before Clint stopped him.

“This will be fine. We can share a bed, honestly, I spent most of my time at the circus sharing a bed with Barney, it’s fine. 

Bucky smiled slightly, “Famous last words. But if you’re sure you’re okay with sharing? We can each keep to our own sides, it’ll be fine. Like having an extended sleepover.”

Clint laughed before falling face first on the bed, still tired from waking up too early and not enough coffee. “I’m still taking that nap, I think I’m going to need some more sleep before family dinner.”

Bucky sat on the other side gingerly before laying down and pulling a blanket over both of them. “This is fine,” he repeated as Clint pulled his hearing aids out and set them on the side table, asleep in no time. 

***

Clint woke suddenly, disoriented until he saw Bucky still asleep next to him. He was awake now and feeling gross from the car ride and in desperate need of a shower. He got out of the bed, careful not to wake Bucky, and rummaged through the bag he had brought, looking for his shower supplies. 

Clint walked into the bathroom Bucky had pointed out earlier and spent a few minutes figuring out the shower before he had it hot enough to relax the muscles in his back. He took his time showering, knowing it was probably going to be the last time he would be alone for a while. 

Clint finally finished in the shower and dried off before wrapping the towel around his waist and releasing a cloud of steam as he stepped into the hallway and was immediately stopped by a smirking teenage girl standing just outside the door. 

“Sorry, did you need the bathroom?” he asked, watching her mouth for an answer. 

She answered while shaking her head, meaning Clint missed most of what she said. 

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that. I don’t have my hearing aids in. I can probably read your lips though.”

She stared at him for a moment before slowly signing _It’s nice to meet you_.

Clint stood there shocked. 

She bit her lip in concentration before signing again. _My name is B-E-C-C-A_. 

Clint smiled at her reassuringly before speaking out loud. “I kind of assumed, you look so much like Bucky it’s kind of freaking me out. It’s nice to meet you too.”

She pulled an overly disgusted face at being compared to her brother then looked at something behind Clint. Clint turned to look too and saw Bucky walking up behind him. Bucky was in the middle of saying something that ended with “my boyfriend.”

Bucky reached Clint and hugged him from behind, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “How did you sleep?”

“Fine, but I just realized I’m pretty much standing naked in the hallway with your little sister so I’m going to go get dressed.”

Bucky laughed as he let him go and Clint returned to their room, pulling on jeans and a t-shirt and fitting his hearing aids back in his ears.

Bucky entered just as Clint was switching them on. “Sorry about Becca, she was probably camped outside the bathroom just waiting for you to come out.”

“It’s okay, she was nice. Is she learning sign language?”

“Yeah, I told my family you were deaf so they wouldn’t ask you about it and I guess she got on YouTube and started watching videos.” Bucky paused, “should I be learning sign language?”

“I can read lips, it’s not perfect but it’s fine. And I normally have my aids in,” Clint explained.

Bucky nodded before changing the subject. “Dad just got home and dinner's ready whenever we are. Ready to go face the interrogation?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s do this.”

***

Dinner was just as nerve-wracking as Clint expected. Bucky’s family had questions, of course. How did they meet? What was their first date? When did they know it was love? They responded with a mixture of pre-prepared answers and making things up on the spot. 

Luckily, questions turned from their relationship to Clint’s life. Unluckily, Winnie’s first question was about his family. 

“Of course we’re happy to have you for the full month, but don’t your family want to see you, Clint?”

Clint cleared his throat. “Actually, my parents died when I was a kid. I was in a series of foster homes for a while before my brother and I ran away and joined the circus. I haven’t heard from him in years. I normally spend holidays with my best friend Natasha, but she joined the Bolshoi Ballet, in Moscow, and neither of us can really afford a plane ticket right now.”

Winnie looked at him with sympathy, but no pity, thank god. “I’m sorry to hear about your parents.”

Clint shrugged. “I miss my mom sometimes but it was probably for the best. I like the way my life is now, at least, and I probably wouldn’t be here if I’d stayed in that environment.”

Bucky chose that moment to change the subject, teasing Becca about school and thankfully taking the attention off Clint. Clint reached under the table and squeezed his hand in thanks. 

***

After dinner, Bucky’s family pulled out Monopoly. Clint’s family had never in his life played a board game but he was willing to give it a try. 

Two hours later he wasn’t sure if he loved Bucky’s family or was terrified of them. Probably both. 

Becca was doing a truly terrible victory dance from her seated position in front of the coffee table. Bucky’s dad (“call me George”) was mortgaging properties and counting out money, all the while threatening to disown his daughter. Winnie, who Becca had knocked out several rounds earlier, was encouraging him. 

Bucky was barely holding on, most of his properties mortgaged and down to his last few dollars. Clint, however, was keeping up with Becca. He was pretty sure if he could get Bucky’s properties he could win. 

George finished paying up and it was Bucky’s turn to roll. Bucky counted out his moves slowly and landed on one of Clint’s hotels. Jackpot. Clint couldn’t contain his grin even while Bucky pouted. 

“Give me everything you’ve got, babe.”

Bucky turned the full force of his pout to Clint. It would probably be devastating if Clint was into guys. “You would knock me out of the game? I thought you loved me.”

Clint couldn’t help laughing. “That’s a dirty move, Barnes. Counteroffer, give me your stuff and you can be on my team. We’ll take Becca down together.”

Becca gasped dramatically. “I finally see the point of dating, teaming up unfairly against teenagers.”

George and Winnie answered in unison. “Exactly.”

Bucky was busy rearranging Clint’s money and property into something resembling order as opposed to the piles Clint had kept it in, but he paused long enough to send Becca a smirk. 

Once everything was arranged to Bucky’s satisfaction he started unmortgaging Clint’s properties and buying houses and hotels. Finally satisfied he gave Clint the dice and let him roll. 

Less than five minutes later Becca was scowling as she passed all of her money over to a cackling Bucky. Clint couldn’t keep the fond smile hidden. 

“Winner cleans up,” Becca announced. “I’m going to make hot chocolate for everyone who didn’t cheat at the game.”

Bucky pouted, “You’re really not going to make anything for your favorite brother? Plus, Clint’s a guest, you can’t leave him out.”

Becca rolled her eyes, but when Clint and Bucky joined everyone in the kitchen after cleaning up the game there were five mugs sitting around the table. 

Everyone drank their hot chocolate and visited until Winnie glanced at the clock. “Oh goodness! It’s past midnight. Becca, you’ve still got school tomorrow. Time for bed everyone, we’ll get to spend plenty of time together.”

Bucky took everyone’s mugs to the sink and rinsed them, putting them in the dishwasher while Winnie hugged first Becca then Clint. She turned to Bucky as he returned and gave him a tight hug then shooed everyone toward their rooms. 

Clint and Bucky faced separate walls while they dressed for bed, Clint in a pair of loose sweatpants, Bucky in boxers and a T-shirt. They climbed into bed together, facing each other so Clint could read Bucky’s lips. 

“I really like your family.”

Bucky smiled sleepily. “I’m glad. They like you too.”

Clint smiled back and closed his eyes, tired but happy after being surrounded by a happy family. 

***

Clint woke in the morning to sunlight streaming through the window. He was alone in the room so he grabbed his aids and put them in on his way to the bathroom, where he took care of business and brushed his teeth. He left the bathroom in search of coffee, entering the kitchen where Bucky was making coffee while Becca heckled him. 

Clint draped himself over Bucky’s back, determined to wait for the coffee. Bucky turned and smiled at Clint then turned back to teasing Becca. They waited in that position for the coffee pot to fill. When it was finally ready Bucky pulled two mugs forward while Clint gathered milk and sugar. They each prepared their coffees, Clint groaning in appreciation when the first sip hit his lips. 

“You guys are so cute together.” Clint jumped, almost spilling coffee on his bare chest. Becca was staring at them with her chin in her hand, a soft smile on her face. Luckily they were saved from having to answer by her phone dinging. “That’s my ride, I’ll see you guys after school!” Becca was out the door before Clint could process what she had said. 

Clint looked at Bucky. “She has too much energy in the mornings.”

Bucky laughed, “Yeah, she’s the only morning person in the entire family.”

As if to illustrate his point Winnie shuffled in, looking half dead as she made a beeline to the coffee pot. She poured herself a mug but didn’t say anything until it was half gone. “Good morning boys. What are your plans for today?”

Clint glanced at Bucky, who shrugged. “I don’t think we have any plans. Probably hang out here.”

Winnie nodded, “I have to go into work, but you’re more than welcome to hang out here.”

Clint scrambled eggs for himself and Bucky. He offered to make some for Winnie also but she declined, grabbing a granola bar as she walked out the door. 

Bucky took his first bite. “These are really good, I didn’t know you could cook.”

Clint rubbed the back of his neck, “I don’t cook a lot, but I can. Had to do it for myself growing up.”

They finished eating in silence then looked at each other slightly awkwardly. 

Clint cleared his throat, “So, what do we do now?”

“I’m going to take a shower,” Bucky answered, “then I guess whatever we want to do. We can watch TV, or nap, or go someplace I guess. It’s up to you.”

Clint checked his emails while Bucky showered. He had a message from Natasha and he spent some time writing back to her, explaining his first night with Bucky’s parents. Once Bucky finished Clint showered. 

They ended up laying around the house wearing sweatpants for most of the day. They watched cheesy Hallmark channel Christmas movies and ate leftovers from the fridge. It was almost too soon when the rest of the family arrived, but they had another dinner together and then watched a movie as a family. 

***

The next week passed in a similar way. Bucky and Clint would spend the days relaxing while everyone else went to work or school. They went to the movies, shopped, even went bowling one afternoon. Bucky’s family would return in the evenings and they would eat dinner together. Some nights they would play games or watch movies. Some nights they just talked together while Becca worked on homework. 

It was unlike anything Clint had experienced in his life. 

He and Natasha emailed often and Skyped twice. Natasha was quietly amused at Clint set up at the kitchen table while Bucky’s family passed through the background, talking and joking. 

On the most recent call, Natasha had waited until there was no one in sight of the screen before signing _Having a family is a good look on you_ and then hung up before Clint could come up with a response. 

Unsure what to do with that Clint pushed it from his mind and joined Winnie in baking Christmas cookies while Bucky “helped” Becca with her homework by trying to give her wrong answers and George worked on the newspaper crossword. 

***

Clint knew something was different as he slowly woke up a week after he and Bucky had arrived. It took him a minute to realize what was different. There was a warm body pressed against his front and Clint’s arm was around the waist, his fingers skimming skin under the T-shirt. His dick was very interested in the warm body pressed against him. 

Clint’s eyes flew open as he remembered where he was and that his dick should definitely not be interested in Bucky for several reasons, number one on the list being that they were just friends lying to a family together. 

Clint slowly extracted himself from the bed and hurried to the bathroom where he got into the shower immediately. The shock of waking up to Bucky in his arms did nothing to get rid of Clint’s erection, which was still very interested. 

Maybe he just needed to jerk off. It had been a while and his body was probably just confused. Clint leaned his head on his arm against the shower wall and took himself in hand, stroking slowly. 

Clint imagined a faceless someone kneeling in front of him, running their hand up and down his cock before taking it into their mouth. Clint’s eyes slid closed as he continued to stroke, imagining them bobbing back and forth on his cock, his hand moving faster and starting to twist on the end. He was close when the person in his imagination glanced up through their eyelashes and Clint came as he realized it was Bucky kneeling before him. 

Well, that was new. 

Clint had never imagined another man in his fantasies. It was probably just because they were in such close proximity. That had to be it. 

Clint finished showering quickly before hurriedly dressing back in the room. Bucky was still asleep and Clint snuck back out without waking him. 

Clint was the only one awake when he reached the kitchen. He started coffee but had to much on his mind to just sit and wait for it so he started to pull out ingredients, mixing them with more force than necessary. When the food was finally ready for the oven Clint was calmer, ready to brush the incident off as a one-time thing. No need to freak out. Besides, Bucky’s whole family would be home all day, Becca finally out of school for break and George and Winnie taking time off to spend Christmas with their children. They would notice if Clint was acting weirdly. 

Bucky’s family slowly emerged from their rooms while the food cooked. Clint prepared everyone coffee the way they liked it and when the oven timer went off he plated it and passed it to everyone. 

Becca looked up from her drink, mostly milk and sugar with some coffee. “Cinnamon rolls?”

“Yeah, my mom taught me to make them when I was a kid. I’ve always loved everything cinnamon.”

Bucky groaned as he took a bite. “These are delicious. I’m never eating anything else ever again.”

Clint smiled, feeling the last of his panic melting away. Everything would be absolutely fine. 

***

Clint went to sleep that night with his back to Bucky. He woke to Bucky pressed against his back, arm slung over his hip. 

Clint noticed himself unconsciously pressing back against Bucky. He was hard again and Bucky’s fingers were dangling dangerously close to his erection. 

After another jerk off session in the shower, Clint made pancakes. 

This was completely normal, he told himself. It made sense for two warm bodies in the same bed to end up cuddled together. It didn’t mean anything. And being so close to another body would cause certain biological reactions. It was fine. 

***

Christmas Eve started bright and early, Becca bouncing into their room yelling for everyone to wake up, which Clint only noticed because Bucky startled enough that he almost fell out of bed, his hold on Clint the only thing keeping him off the floor. 

Clint sat up too quickly, almost feeling lightheaded for a moment, wondering what had pulled on him. Becca just smiled widely, signing good morning before bouncing back out and down the hall toward Winnie and George’s room. 

Clint groaned and flopped back down, Bucky’s arm still around him and turned his face toward Bucky. “What the hell was that about?”

Bucky seemed to notice their closeness and snatched his arm back. He stood as he answered, making sure to face Clint the whole time. “Becca really likes Christmas Eve. We spend all day at Grandma Barnes’ house with aunts and uncles and cousins. There’s a big Christmas dinner and we open presents. Everyone lays around and then we all go to midnight mass together.”

“You don’t seem very excited about it,” Clint pointed out, putting his aids in. 

“Grandma is cool about me being gay, but some of the relatives aren’t as accepting. And it’s hard to enjoy going to church when so many people use god as an excuse to hate people like me. But it’ll be good to see Grandma and she always makes amazing food.”

After everyone had showered and eaten breakfast they gathered presents and left for Grandma Barnes’ house. The drive over was cramped but quick and they were soon unloading in front of a small but tidy house. 

Clint walked in behind Bucky, who was grabbed almost immediately by an older woman pulling him into a tight hug. She let go and Clint held out a hand, “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Barnes. My name is Clint Barton.”

She pushed his hand away as she pulled him into a tight hug and kissed his cheek. “I know who you are, Clint Barton. Rebecca has been texting me about you all week. I’m so glad James found such a wonderful man to spend his life with.”

“Woah, Grandma! Slow down, we aren’t spending our lives together yet,” Bucky interjected. 

“You will, I can tell.” She turned her attention back to Clint, “Call me Grandma, dear. Everyone else does. And I can already tell I like you more than some of them.” She winked and walked off to greet Becca. 

Clint wasn’t quite sure what to make of Grandma Barnes, but he could tell that he liked her already. 

Bucky’s extended family showed up throughout the morning, each group bringing presents. Grandma Barnes greeted each family, though sometimes with less enthusiasm then she had greeted them. 

Clint stayed close to Bucky as more and more people arrived, some of them giving him odd looks. Bucky seemed to tense up at some of the looks so Clint took his hand in a silent show of support. Bucky squeezed his hand and led him to the kitchen, which was empty except for Grandma Barnes, who was doing something on the stove that smelled amazing. 

Clint pulled Bucky into a hug which he melted into, the rest of the tension falling away. When he finally stepped back Grandma Barnes was watching with a small smile. 

Clint rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. “Do you need any help, Grandma?”

“No, thank you, dear. You just enjoy your time together.” She then bustled out of the kitchen to entertain her various family members. 

“I normally just stick by my Ma’s side when I’m here, but she’s talking to Aunt Lori, who isn’t very supportive of me. Ma’s argued with her about it before and I don’t want to get caught in the middle of that again. Can we just hide out in here all day instead?”

Clint took hold of Bucky’s hand again. “I think your Grandma would be fine with it, but I bet your mom comes to drag you out eventually.”

Bucky squeezed his hand. “You’re right. At least I have you here with me to make this more bearable.”

They returned to the living room and set themselves up on a couch near the younger cousins, Clint entertaining them all with stories from the circus. It wasn’t long before he was showing off, performing one-handed handstands, juggling, and shooting bottle caps at increasingly ridiculous targets. Bucky watched Clint with a fond smile on his face. 

Finally, it was time for Christmas dinner. Clint sat on Bucky’s left with Aunt Lori on his other side. Clint leaned into Bucky’s space in order to whisper, “Are you sure we can’t eat with the kids instead?”

Bucky laughed, causing Aunt Lori to send them a dark look. Clint wasn’t concerned with what she thought of them though, so he just smiled back innocently. 

Grandma Barnes led a prayer and then they all dug in. It was probably the best food Clint had had in his life. Ham and potatoes, casseroles and fresh bread, everything was delicious and Clint ate way too much. Everyone helped with clean up then they moved to sit around the large Christmas tree. Bucky moved to pass out presents and soon everyone was ripping open gifts, exclaiming over what they had gotten, laughing and throwing paper balls at each other. 

To Clint’s surprise, a small pile of gifts were put in front of him as well. His confusion must have shown on his face because Bucky kicked him lightly and said, “What? You think we would have forgotten you?”

Clint didn’t know how to explain that he had never had a family Christmas. That normally he and Natasha exchanged something small that they needed and moved on. 

What he could say, however, was, “But I didn’t get anyone else anything.”

“It’s fine,” Bucky reassured him, “Ma put your name on the gift tags too. She takes care of everything for Christmas Eve.”

Clint somehow became even more choked up at that. They had seamlessly included him with their family without a thought.

Clint didn’t want to have an emotional breakdown at Grandma Barnes’ house, so he wiped his eyes and picked up the first present, some squishy with a tag that read Love, Grandma. Clint unwrapped it carefully to find a purple hand-knitted sweater that looked exactly his size. He looked to Grandma Barnes in shock but she was to busy watching her family open presents with a smile on her face. Clint gently set it aside and opened the next present. 

***

Once everyone had opened their presents and helped clean up the trash they all changed into their Christmas sweaters from Grandma Barnes, apparently a Christmas Eve tradition. It was soft and comfy and somehow fit Clint perfectly. He was pretty sure he was never going to take it off again. 

Everyone broke off into small groups, the younger children napping on a large pile of blankets on the living room floor. Bucky laid out on the living room couch, watching the movie that had been put on for the children, though Clint would bet he would be asleep before much longer. 

Clint found Grandma Barnes back in the kitchen. “Thank you for my sweater, Grandma, I love it.”

She smiled at him knowingly, “I’m glad you like it dear. James told me purple was your favorite color. It’s a good look on you.”

Clint blushed. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Do you want to tell me why you were upset earlier? Winnie told me what happened to your family, do you miss them?”

Somehow it was easy to talk to Grandma Barnes. “When my parents were alive my dad drank all the money away. And the few foster parents I had never cared much about us beyond the money they got. I’ve just never had a Christmas like this before and I was overwhelmed. Thank you so much for accepting me into your home.”

“You are so welcome dear, this is the happiest I’ve seen James in years. I should be thanking you for taking care of my grandson.”

Clint smiled, feeling guilty before Grandma Barnes patted his face. “Why don’t you go find him, I bet he’s fallen asleep. You look like you could use a nap too.”

So Clint found himself back in the living room, looking at Bucky would, who was indeed asleep on the couch. Clint removed his hearing aids and set them on the side table before grabbing a blanket and laying down facing Bucky. 

Bucky opened his eyes sleepily when Clint laid down, putting his arm around Clint’s waist and mouthing, “Is this okay?”

Clint was still so full of emotions he wasn’t sure he could speak, so he just nodded, pulling the blanket up over both of them. He pressed his lips gently to Buckys in a silent thank you then burrowed his face in the soft sweater on Bucky’s chest. He was asleep in no time at all.

***

Clint woke to Bucky’s chest vibrating under his face. He was warm and comfortable, however, so he kept his eyes closed, pressing himself closer to Bucky. 

Bucky ran his hand down Clint’s back a few times before shaking him gently. Clint looked up at him and Bucky said, “It’s almost time to go.”

Clint got off the couch and put his hearing aids in, watching as everyone gathered in the living room. “How long were you awake just letting me sleep on you?” he asked Bucky. 

Bucky shrugged, “You looked so comfortable I didn’t want to disturb you. It’s fine, I had some people to talk to.”

Clint was saved from replying by Grandma Barnes announcing it was time to go. Everyone loaded into cars and drove to the church where they all sat pressed together in the pews. Clint was between Bucky and Becca, so at least he would have people to show him what to do.

Mass was every bit was weird as television had led him to believe. They sat, they stood, they kneeled, they sat some more. Clint zoned out after a while and just did what Bucky did. At one point people started leaving the pews to go up to the front. Clint started to follow but Bucky pushed him back down and sat with him while everyone else went up. Clint gave him a confused look but Bucky just shook his head. 

After mass, the family went their separate ways. Clint was half asleep as he sat beside Bucky in the car and only vaguely remembered changing and falling into bed, throwing his arm around Bucky. 

***

Luckily Becca let them all sleep in Christmas morning. Clint woke late to an empty bed. After showering he went to the kitchen, Christmas sweater back on, to find Bucky’s family sitting around drinking coffee and eating cookies. 

“Christmas tradition,” Bucky explained as he pushed a plate of cookies and coffee made exactly the way he liked it in front of Clint. Clint felt at home here, in this moment, more than he ever had in his life. He focused on his cookies in order to get his emotions back under control. 

After a breakfast of cookies, everyone made their way to the living room where they opened presents. Clint had managed to get everyone a present with Bucky’s help and had even gotten something for Bucky without his knowledge. 

They all ended up watching Christmas movies and playing games, happy and relaxed in a way Clint wasn’t sure he would ever get used to. He fell asleep that night feeling like everything was perfect. 

***

The next week passed quickly. George and Winnie had to go back to work, Becca eventually went back to school, and Clint and Bucky spent almost every moment together.

Clint woke up every morning either with Bucky in his arms or with Bucky spooned behind him. Sometimes one or both had morning wood but they never mentioned it. Bucky continued to feature in Clint’s thoughts while he jerked off, but Clint put it out of his mind, reminding himself that it was just because they were spending so much time together.

Eventually, it was time to return to campus. They packed their bags and loaded the car. Winnie gave Clint a long, hard hug. “Thank you for being so good to my son. I want you to know that you are welcome here anytime. Feel free to call me anytime.”

Clint choked back tears, afraid this would be the last time he ever saw her. Unable to speak he just nodded at her. She seemed to understand everything he couldn’t say. 

George gave Clint a hug as well, saying, “Take care of him please.”

Becca gave him a hug and signed goodbye Clint, it was good to meet you much more confidently than the beginning of the trip. 

Clint waved to everyone as Bucky pulled the car away. They were quiet for a while before Clint said, “I’m going to miss them.”

Bucky smiled at him, “I’m sure you can still come back even if we’re exes next time. They all really liked you too.”

The car ride back to campus was mostly quiet. Bucky dropped Clint back off in front of his dorm building and Clint climbed the stairs until he got to his dorm. He opened the door to see everything the same as he had left it. He unpacked his bag and threw himself on the bed, unsure what to do next. 

Clint somehow managed to fill his day, but he couldn’t fall asleep that night. He tossed and turned but no matter what he couldn’t sleep. 

At 4:00 am Clint gave up Skyped Natasha. 

“What’s wrong? Why are you awake?”

Clint missed Natasha so much it hurt. “I can’t sleep. Do you have time to talk?”

“For you, always,” Natasha replied. 

So Clint told Natasha about his trip. He talked about Bucky and his family, and Grandma Barnes, he even pulled out the sweater to show her. 

Natasha watched it all with a small smile on her face. She finally interrupted yet another story about Bucky by saying, “Clint, you’re in love.”

“What? With who?”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “You’re normally smarter than this. You’re in love with Bucky.”

Clint felt like there was a bubble in his chest. “But Bucky’s a guy. And I’m straight.”

“Apparently not.”

The bubble was growing. “But do you think he could love me too?”

“He would be a fool not too. Now go get your guy.”

Clint nodded. He would go get his guy. 

***

Clint showed up at Bucky’s dorm room at 5:00 am, unsure how he was going to get in. Apparently, fate was on his side, however, because Steve was coming out of the room. He stopped when he saw Clint. “About time you got here,” he said, holding the door open for him. Clint stepped through, confused, as Steve closed and locked the door behind him, leaving Clint alone in a room with Bucky, who appeared to be sleeping fitfully. 

Clint didn’t want to wake Bucky up so he took out his hearing aids and crawled into the bed. Bucky unconsciously rolled toward him, putting his arm around Clint’s waist. Clint was asleep within moments. 

***

Clint woke up hours later to see Bucky watching him in confusion. Bucky waited while Clint put in his hearing aids before asking, “What are you doing here?”

This was the moment Clint leaped. “I love you,” he blurted out.

Bucky looked even more confused. “I thought you were straight.”

“I thought I was too, but I can’t sleep without you and I can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve been jerking off thinking about you for weeks. I love you.”

Bucky’s face softened as he listened to Clint. “I love you too, sweetheart.”

Clint felt like he was going to float away. “Can I kiss you?” he asked.

Bucky leaned forward, pressing their lips together. It was the best kiss of Clint’s life. 

***

Almost One Year Later

Bucky pulled the car up outside the familiar apartment building. Clint grabbed their bags while Bucky got the presents. They walked together up the stairs to Bucky’s parent's apartment, walking through the front door and into Winnie’s arms. 

“I’m so glad you boys are here. I’ll take care of these presents while you rest up. We’ll have a big family dinner together when Becca and George get home.”

Clint felt for the ring box in his pocket. Last Christmas had been great, but this Christmas was looking to be the best one yet.


End file.
